Sustainable Music

I can not remember how I happened upon Diego Stocco but I am glad that I did. First just watch his video where he creates beautiful music from an element of nature...SAND!

Diego Stocco - Music From Sand from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

Um. Wow.

Nature may not do it for everyone, but for me...I love music. I love sound. I love rain on pavement and the sound traffic makes against that. I love the sounds nature makes and I love the sounds musicians make. I love music. After coming across Diego Stocco's work, I started thinking about sustainable approaches towards music and within a few minutes my google search was out of control.

First, I thought about how its such a practical idea to use nature itself in creating music. Diego used sand in one video and a tree in another to create sounds. You can't get more granola than that!


Then I thought about how you can use a simplistic approach towards music. While some people like a huge spectacle type of show such as the U2 concert which I will touch upon later, I also love when its just a singer and their guitar. I can't tell you what the sound of that does to me. Such as a dear friend of mine Dave Seume. Now, Dave can put on a good show. I went to enough of his concerts during college and recorded pretty much all of them. But what I love about one of his latest singles and videos is how he just has his guitar and he sings a song that is so beautiful. Listen to my friend. Dave and his guitar. That's sustainable!




Another approach towards sustainability in music is purchasing used instruments. I really want a guitar and instead of buying a new one, I'd love to have a used one. Perhaps I'll scourer craigslist for a good one.

Another approach is educating yourself. Sustainability and Music is a whole other topic. I'm doing a short post about it but their are blogs and alliances out there just for this in mind. I happened upon Sustainable Music which focuses on cultural sustainability in regards to music but I believe that's just as important as environmental sustainability and economic sustainability. I also came across the Green Music Alliance.
There was so much information on that website it was out of control...in a good way. Take some time and explore the site. I found so many resources. I didn't know there was such a movement! Why can't all the various movements join as one, to really show the true number of people who are really making an effort towards sustainability.

Photo Credit

Another thing that I personally do is download all my music. I believe this leaves a far less carbon impact than buying cd's or vinyls or cassette tapes.

Another thing you can do, go to local jazz lounges and open mic cafe type places and hear and support the local musicians in your area.

On a different note, recently I had to opportunity to attend to opening night of U2's 360 tour that began in Chicago. It was amazing! I had encountered Bono before at my undergraduate college because he was there spreading the word about the ONE campaign. But I had never seen him rock before! The concert was incredible!

But while it was incredible it left a GIGANTIC carbon footprint. I wish you could have seen it. The stage was MASSIVE. The sheer amount of energy used....all those lights....all those amps. The stage manager booth was bigger than my apartment. Probably bigger than most people's houses. Imagine that. Needing a booth the size of a house to run the show from. That's crazy.

I heard things like, it taking over 200 trucks to move the concert from city to city. I heard it cost 40 million to build the stage. 334 stage hands to make it all work. The fact that it takes 5 days to assemble the stage and 3 days to take it apart...I've never heard of such a thing. How did such a massive, expensive show fit with their environmental beliefs.

The Edge spoke with   BBC News and was quoted as saying,"I think anybody that's touring is going to have a carbon footprint. I think it's probably unfair to single out rock 'n' roll. There's many other things that are in the same category but as it happens we have a programme to offset whatever carbon footprint we have." He was also quoted as saying, "We'd love to have some alternative to big trucks bringing the stuff around but there just isn't one."

Here's the thing. As much as I LOVED the show. The effects were out of this world. The band was AMAZING, everything was great...but as much as I loved it, I still feel his comments are a bit of a cope out. For a group that is trying to literally feed the hungry children in africa, it seemed like for as long as they have been in the business they could have come up with some creative solutions and alternatives.

But I don't judge them. While I spout out my granola tendencies, there are other areas in my life where true "greenist" would be appalled. So I get it. I have a quote on one of my art journals that's from Bono. It says something to the effect of, "I want to be a Rock Star and save the world too!"

Can they co-exist? Is it ok to spend half your fortune on your every whim and then the other half on starving children. Or should it all go to them? When is enough enough?

I can't answer that questions. But I can say that I hope that they find another way to put on their shows. What if the biggest Rock Band in the world was able to give a phenomenal experience to its fans while still taking sustainable measures. It would set the standard in the music industry!

One of my favorite moments from the show was probably one of the quietest, less showy moments. It was when The Edge played guitar and Bono held the mic and together just the two of them sang, "Stuck in a Moment." To me, that simple moment was the most mind blowing of all. The Edge, Bono and an acoustic guitar.

What could U2 have done differently? What are other ways in which music can be environmentally sustainable? Diego used sand and trees to make music...what else should he use? Have you created music from the earth.